


Three Little Lilies

by Groucho Stark (TotallyInsaney)



Series: Flowers [3]
Category: Animaniacs
Genre: Blood and Violence, Child Abandonment, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-21 00:08:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30013089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TotallyInsaney/pseuds/Groucho%20Stark
Summary: A series of oneshots of the Warner siblings' childhood, prior to Dot's kidnapping in TPF. These won't be in chronological order. It's more or less just random snapshots of their lives in the before.
Relationships: Dot Warner & Wakko Warner & Yakko Warner
Series: Flowers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2156157
Comments: 12
Kudos: 13





	1. First Steps

**Author's Note:**

> I'm baaack. Okay, so to anyone patiently waiting for the eight years that Yakko was gone, don't worry. That is still a work in progress. I just happened to realize that there's more I can do here. Like stuff with the water tower and all sorts of crazy things. I hope you enjoy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dot walks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this idea cropped up as I was figuring things for other fics. I had a flash to a very specific scene in TPF. Dot's escape. So I made this.

"Come on Dot. You can do it." Yakko said, kneeling a few feet away from his baby sister with open arms.

"No! I fall!" She whimpered, holding onto the couch for balance.

"I'll catch you. I promise. You'll be okay." He stated, gesturing for her to come forward.

"Go Dot!" Wakko cheered, sitting beside Yakko and sipping from his juice box.

Hesitantly, the infant pushed away from the couch and stumbled towards her older brother. She walked shakily, waving her arms to keep balance.

Once she reached Yakko, he scooped her up and kissed her head. "You did it! I'm so proud of you!"

"I go go! No fall!"

"Nope. No fall. Soon, you're gonna bounce off the walls." He replied, lightly tapping her on the nose.

"Yeah!" She started attempting to bounce up and down, but not actually leaving the ground.

"Just like that." Yakko chuckled, reaching out to ruffle the fur on her head. The three of them were gonna be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cute, huh? I'm gonna lay it out now, don't get used to it.


	2. Baby Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yakko meets his baby sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm grasping any scrap of cuteness I can find here.

Yakko held onto his father's hand as he was led through the halls of the hospital. Everything was so bright and smelled funny, like a mix of antiseptic and latex. He didn't like it, but didn't really have a choice. His dad was taking him and his baby brother to go meet their new sibling.

He pulled away when they reached the door. Inside, his mom was sitting up in the bed holding a small pink bundle. "Hey sweetheart, I think someone here wants to meet you." His mom said softly.

Yakko hopped onto the bed beside his mom, staring curiously at the infant in her arms. Just like all of them, the baby had a bright red nose, black fur, and a white face.

"This is your baby sister. We named her Angelina." His dad murmured.

He took his eyes off the baby for a moment. "Just like mommy?"

"Just like mommy."

"But she's too little for that big of a name. Can we call her something else?"

"Like what?" His mom asked.

He glanced back at his sister. "Dot."

His parents shared an amused look. "I don't see why not."

Hesitantly, he reached out, stopping short of actually touching her to look up at his mom. When she nodded in encouragement, he continued and pet Dot's head. Noticing the disturbance, her nose scrunched up.

He pulled away, opening his mouth to apologize when dark eyes blinked up at him curiously. "... Hi, I'm Yakko."

A small fuzzy black hand reached up from the blanket, grabbing onto his cheek. His parents chuckled. "I think she likes you." His mom said, gently prying Dot's hand away from his face.

He scrubbed at his cheek. "She's so tiny."

"You weren't much bigger than her as a baby." His mom replied.

His dad placed Wakko down on the bed across from Yakko. His younger brother stared curiously at the infant, sucking his thumb.

"Can you promise us something?" Their mom asked. Yakko nodded. "As oldest, it's your job to look after them. Can you do that for us?"

He looked between his siblings, giving his mom a mock salute. "You can count on me!"

"There's a good boy." His mom ruffled the fur on his head, kissing him on the cheek. Wakko flopped down, chewing on the foot of his pajamas.

Yakko didn't fully understand at the time, but he knew as he looked between his younger siblings that there wasn't anything that he wouldn't do for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this was gonna be a separate oneshot back in February, but that didn't pan out. So, I reworked it a bit and added it here. More or less to show off the bond the siblings have.


	3. You'll Be in My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dot is crying. Yakko sings to her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to You'll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins and got this idea. Always makes me emotional. And it's a way to show off Yakko's path into a more parental role with Wakko and Dot.

Dot wouldn't stop crying. Yakko paced back and forth in the water tower frantically, rocking her in his arms. They had been in the tower for a couple weeks, and while Wakko seemed to be adjusting okay, Yakko couldn't get Dot to calm down. The only time she was quiet was when she slept.

Wakko sat on the couch, watching them nervously while sucking his thumb. He hadn't said much since they arrived. Dot was making more than enough noise for all of them, vocalizing the pain that they felt. They wanted their parents. The two younger not fully understanding everything.

Yakko almost envied them. They had the luxury of not completely knowing. There was a certain amount of peace in the confusion. And the two would no doubt end up forgetting at some point. Everything that they had gone through. Yakko however, remembered every second. The memory would be his cross to bear, to protect his siblings.

"C'mon sis, it's okay. Please stop crying. I'm here." He begged, rocking her back and forth desperately.

Unfortunately, his pleas fell on deaf ears. Dot continued to wail, shaking her tiny fists. 

Yakko banged his foot against the coffee table, almost losing his grip on his baby sister. He adjusted his hold on her, keeping Dot against his chest. "Shh, it's okay. I'm right here…" 

An idea came to mind as he moved to sit on the couch. Dot's cries grew louder, and Wakko covered his ears.

"Come stop your crying, it'll be alright. Just take my hand, hold it tight…." Yakko began singing, holding his hand down.

Dot's sobs began to slow, and she grabbed his hand as he continued.

"I will protect you from all around you. I will be here, don't you cry… For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm…"

Wakko looked up, taking his hands off of his ears, humming along. Dot was finally relaxing as Yakko continued singing.

"... 'Cause you'll be in my heart. Believe me, you'll be in my heart. I'll be there from this day on, now and forever more…"

Once he finished up the song, Dot was fast asleep in his arms. She actually looked peaceful. Yakko leaned down to kiss her head gently. Next to him, Wakko leaned against him and fell asleep.

"Love you, sibs." Yakko murmured, wrapping one arm around his younger brother. He fell asleep holding onto both of his siblings.

For the first time since their nightmare began, he actually felt like they would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That is one of my absolute favorite songs. It was one of the songs I was listening to while writing this. Mostly to keep track of the lyrics.


	4. First Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dot's first word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kicking into overdrive as far as my ideas go. The eight years thing is still in progress, my brain is just a bit flighty. By the time I get this finished though, I should have it started.

"C'mon Dot, airplane coming in for landing." Yakko said, holding the spoonful of baby food up to her lips.

She kept her mouth firmly closed, turning and twisting her head to avoid the spoon. He didn't blame her, as it looked gross. But she needed to eat.

"Dot, you need to eat. Don't you wanna be all big and strong?"

In response, she smacked the spoon out of his hand. Wakko dove from his seat after it, handing it back to Yakko happily.

He placed it down on the table and grabbed a different spoon. "Please? It's good for you. Try it," Maybe he needed a different tactic. Yakko got another spoonful, bringing it up to his own mouth. "Mmm, yummy. It's so tasty and good. Too bad Dot didn't want any."

Crazily enough, it worked. She opened her mouth for the spoon. Success… For a moment. After allowing him to feed her a few spoonfuls, she scrunched her face up and spat a mouthful of the gunk at him. Wakko giggled, watching them as he ate.

"Ew! No Dot!" He exclaimed, grabbing a towel to wipe his face.

"Dah!" She squeaked angrily, shaking her tiny fists.

"Bad Dot! We don't spit." Yakko scolded.

"Bah Yah! Yak-ko!" He froze, dropping the spoon.

"... Did you just say my name? Say it again." For the moment, food was forgotten.

"Yakk!" Dot squealed, happy to not have a spoon shoved in her face.

"Yakko. Say Yakko." He said, watching her.

"Yakyak!" It wasn't exactly his name, but he'd take it. Something about his name being her first actual word made him excited. She was saying his name.

For about half an hour, he kept trying to get her to say his name. She laughed happily, enjoying the game. Even Wakko joined in, trying to get her to say his name as well. It was actually a lot of fun for the three of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still working on how they lost their parents. Been a struggle, because I'm breaking my own heart here. Until then, leave a comment telling me your thoughts thus far. Love hearing feedback.


	5. Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A threat. A break in. Their parents die. Yakko must fight to keep Wakko and Dot safe from a toon killer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The very tragic loss of their parents. Warning for bloodshed and gun violence. Also threats of violence to small children. You have been warned. If you'd like to skip over the violence, you can read the next chapter for the immediate aftermath.

Yakko was almost five when he and his siblings lost their parents. Their mom Angelina II and dad William were very well known toons in Warner Bros, practically royalty. Even had their own house a few blocks away from the movie lot, which was extremely rare in those days for a toon. But you know what they say about being on top. There's always someone trying to knock you down.

It had started off as such a nice day. Their parents had some time off from filming, so they were having family time. Wakko and Dot were together in her crib taking a nap, being nineteen months old and four months old respectively. Yakko, who was a few weeks shy of five, was on his mother's lap reading a book of poems. Anytime he stumbled on a word, she would help him with it. His father meanwhile was fixing lunch in the kitchen.

His mother was in the middle of helping him pronounce alkaline when a brick crashed through the window. She quickly got to her feet, clutching him to her chest.

"What was that?" William called, rushing into the room. He paused when he saw the brick.

Yakko held onto his mom's skirt. "It has a paper on it." He pointed out shakily.

"It just says 'Get out-' No, I'm not finishing that. I'm gonna call the police." His dad crumpled up the paper and stormed back into the kitchen.

His mother pet his head gently. "How about you go check on Wakko and Dot while I get this cleaned up. Okay?"

He nodded slowly. "Okay." Yakko walked up the stairs, still a bit shaken up.

Dot was still asleep somehow, but Wakko was leaning on the bars of the crib in his little blue footie pajamas. As usual, he was chewing on his fingers. He tilted his head curiously.

"It's okay. Everything's okay." Yakko said, walking to the crib and scooping up his little brother.

Their mom walked in a few minutes later, petting his head. "It's gonna be alright. Your daddy's talking with the police so they can find the culprit, and then tomorrow we'll get the window fixed."

"Why did they do it?" Yakko asked, looking up at her. He couldn't understand it. Nothing was funny about throwing a brick into a window. They could have hit one of them.

She thought for a moment. "... Some people don't like things being different. Change scares them, and then that makes them mad. As toons, we are very lucky to be where we are. But there are bad people who don't like us having nice things."

"Why? You and daddy work really hard making people laugh." And they were all living, just like humans.

"Those kinds of people think toons should be kept locked up. They'll kick you down and call you names, but don't you let it get to you. Someday, toons will be seen as equals to humans. Maybe not in my lifetime, but someday."

He nodded. "When I'm older, I'm gonna fight for toons."

His mom smiled. "I know you will. You're very strong, just like me and daddy. And you've got a big heart. You, Wakko, and Dot… You're gonna change the world someday."

Before she could say more, Dot started crying. His mom scooped up the infant, moving her to the changing table to change her diaper.

* * *

Later in the day, Yakko had overheard his dad telling his mom that the police didn't take him seriously. According to the police, it was just a harmless prank, and if they were really worried to go stay at a motel. They opted to stay, refusing to be chased from their home.

Dinner was slightly tense, with his dad constantly glancing at where he had nailed a sheet up to cover where the window was broken. His mother forced a smile, but kept tapping her fingers nervously on the table. It was uncomfortably silent. Even Yakko didn't know what to say.

After dinner, they all got ready for bed. Yakko's parents tucked him into bed after putting Dot and Wakko to bed. "Why don't the police want to help us?" He asked, clutching his blanket.

His parents shared a look. "... Sometimes, they think people are making a bigger deal out of something than it needs to be. It's gonna be okay though." Angelina said, petting his head.

From downstairs, something shattered. "That's it. When I get my hands on whoever that is, it won't be so funny. Stay with the kids." William snapped, grabbing a baseball bat and storming down the stairs.

A few seconds later, a gunshot was heard. "Go to the nursery," His mother said shakily, standing up quickly. Yakko hesitated, looking worriedly at the door. "Now! Lock the door behind you, and do not open it until I say to." She kissed his head and left.

He stumbled into the nursery, and shut the door. Before he locked it however, another gunshot was heard, and then his mother shrieked out, "WILLIAM!" Yakko had never heard his mom sound so distraught.

Glancing between his siblings and the door, he decided to see what was going on. Wakko and Dot were awake, but not crying. They'd be fine. He walked out of the nursery, creeping down the stairs.

"Please, no!" His mother cried, kneeling over something. As he got closer, he realized it was his father, and he wasn't moving. There was blood all over him, and even some on his mom from where she was holding onto him.

A figure dressed all in black with a mask was standing over her holding a gun. "You toons are all the same. Think you're so high and mighty just because you're funny."

"We didn't do anything!"

"Mommy?" Yakko blurted. His mother looked up in panic.

"Baby, no! Yakko, don't look! Run!"

"Heya kiddo, how old are you?" The man asked in an entirely too cheerful tone.

"... Four and a half." He mumbled, trembling in fear.

"Wow, you're a real big boy, aren't ya." The guy snickered.

"Don't! Leave him alone!" His mom cried out.

He held the gun firmly on her, snapping. "You shut your mouth bitch or I'll blow his head off," before turning back to Yakko. "Go on. Go to your mommy."

Yakko staggered into his mom's arms, whimpering as she stroked his back. "He's just a boy, please don't hurt him." She begged.

"You're all just a bunch of freaks. Say bye bye to your baby." Just as he was pulling the trigger, Yakko's mom pushed him away. The bullet struck her chest, followed by two more.

"MOM!!!" He screamed, dropping down beside her. Blood began gushing from her wounds, staining his hands and pajamas as he desperately tried to stop the bleeding.

She weakly reached up to touch his cheek. "T-Take care of… your s-siblings… I love you so… so..." Her head lolled to the side, and her hand dropped from his face.

"Mom?! Mom! Don't leave…" Yakko whimpered, clutching the front of her nightgown.

"Aw, poor little guy," The gunman crooned smugly. Yakko stood up, clenching his fists. "Don't worry, you'll join her soon."

Upstairs, Dot was crying loudly. The man chuckled darkly.

"How precious. Mommy was hiding more kiddies." Yakko's eyes widened. He couldn't let anything happen to them. They were all he had left.

As the attacker was raising his gun towards him, Yakko scrambled back up the stairs and into the nursery. He locked the door behind him and went to his siblings.

Dot was wailing, scared, but not knowing why. Beside her, Wakko was whimpering softly. "Shh, it'll be okay sibs." He murmured, scooping them both into his arms.

"Kid! Open the door! I'm not gonna hurt you!" The man called out, knocking on the door harshly.

"Leave us alone!" Yakko shouted, looking around for any means of escape. They were trapped.

The door was busted in violently, and he dropped to the floor, pressing himself against the wall. Dot buried her face into his chest, sobbing. "Found you."

Wakko buried his face into Yakko's other side, trembling. However, Yakko put on a brave face through his fear, glaring defiantly at the man. "Go away!"

"Oh this is cute," The man walked up to them slowly, gun drawn. "Which one to take first? How about eenie, meenie, miney… You." The gun was pointed directly at Dot.

"No!" A click was heard as he pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. 

"Shit! Stupid useless gun jammed." The guy grumbled. Taking the opportunity, Yakko lunged forward and clamped his teeth into the man's wrist to disarm him.

When the man pulled back to grab his injured hand, Yakko stomped on his foot and rushed out of the nursery and down the stairs once more. He kept his eyes straight ahead as he carried his siblings out the door.

His siblings were all he had left. They needed to be protected no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't go into things with plans of serious violence. But then I was thinking about Yakko in this series, and how he had no issues with pretty much ripping some guy to shreds over harming Dot. Violence begets violence. And I've said before that Dot and Wakko are his anchors to remaining stable. This is why.


	6. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens with the Warner siblings after the death of their parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The immediate after with Yakko getting away from the killer.

Yakko ran down the street, clutching his siblings tightly. He could feel his pajamas sticking to his body from the blood, but he ignored it. He had to get Wakko and Dot to safety first.

They reached a house with a pretty flower garden out front. Yakko was unsure if he could trust them, but he really didn't have much choice. He placed Wakko at the door, hovering over him defensively before pounding on the door frantically.

"Help us! Please!" Yakko cried, glancing back towards their house.

After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a kind faced older woman. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the three Warners. "Goodness me! Is that blood?!" She exclaimed, stepping back.

"He's gonna get us! Please help us! Our mom and dad are-" Yakko tried to explain what had happened, but a lump in his throat prevented him. Wakko held onto his leg, not looking up.

The three were let in very quickly. After that, everything was kind of a blur. He was questioned by police and several other professional looking adults, and they were all taken to the studio where their mom and dad worked. At some point they had been given a change of clothes to get rid of the bloodstained ones.

A bunch of old men in suits at a large table discussed what was to become of them, the three Warner orphans.

He didn't like their tones, but couldn't say anything against it. So he settled for glaring at anyone who talked about them as though they were a burden, and growling at anyone who got too close to Wakko or Dot.

It was decided that they would be living in the Warner Bros water tower. After the studio fitted it with the proper amenities of course, which only took a day. Some of their things were brought in from their home to make things smoother, which Yakko appreciated.

One of the executives told him that several times a year, they'd send in supplies for them. But the rest of the year, that door was gonna stay locked. "For your protection." He had said, which didn't sound right. 

In fact, it sounded exactly like the kinda thing his mother had told him about with humans that didn't like toons. Which made no sense. These were the people who had employed their parents. And everyone there had adored them. So why were they being treated this way?

Even though he didn't want to go, he really had no choice in the matter. They had no other family to speak of. No home anymore. Nowhere else to go. The killer hadn't been caught either. He probably never would. It made him angry, for himself and his siblings. At the police for not taking them seriously, at the studio for wanting them locked away, and at the monster who took his parents away and then tried to do the same with his siblings. Dot was still just a baby.

As the door was shut and locked on them, Yakko looked between his siblings. Internally, he promised himself and them that this was only going to be temporary. They'd get out one day. Until then, he'd do everything in his power to take care of him. He couldn't replace mom or dad, but he was all they had left. It would have to be good enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're gonna be just fine.


	7. A Kind Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yakko meets a friendly security guard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RALPH! Sorry, couldn't help myself. Switching gears to slightly more light-hearted things, as opposed to the nightmare of the last two chapters. Mostly from the death of their parents.

Yakko had just put his siblings to bed for the night, and laid down in his own bed when he heard the door creaking open. Instantly, he was on guard. The five year old got to his feet, baring his teeth, extending his claws, and bristling his fur. Keeping himself crouched, he snuck out of the bedroom and shut the door.

A very large man in a security outfit was placing several huge boxes in their living room, humming to himself cheerfully. What was he up to? He was pretty sure it wasn't normal supplies. Slowly, Yakko moved closer.

The man glanced down, giving him a dopey smile upon noticing him. "Hiya, Warner! You must be Yakko!" The man said, completely oblivious to Yakko's tense form.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" He asked, not taking his eyes off the guard.

"Duh… I'm Ralph," The man pointed to his name tag. "I was just dropping by to see how you kids was doing. I got some stuff for ya. Movies, tv shows, books, games, and some toys."

Yakko relaxed, retracting his claws. "Why?" None of the executives seemed to really care about them. And anyone else who saw them just gave them pitying looks. They didn't need pity, they just needed someone to care.

"Figured things may get boring after a while. So, I'm giving you things to keep you occupied. And some should help you out with taking care of your siblings. Like uhh… this!" Ralph dug through one of the boxes, pulling out a book titled 'From Diapers to Diplomas.'

"What's that?" Yakko asked, hopping onto his shoulder while Ralph flipped through it. The book had stuff about changing diapers, potty training, and even stuff later like zits and hormones.

"Duhh… It's a book about raising babies. My wife recommended it while we was talking about you three. It has everything you need to know about taking care of kids. Even though you're still just a little guy yourself."

A thought occurred to him. "Why can't you and your wife take us?" Ralph gave him a sad smile, reaching up to pet his head after sitting the book down.

"We'd like to. But the execs want you three here where they know where you are."

"For how long?" A few months? A few years? Forever?

"I don't know. They don't tell me nothing. But you are gonna be something someday."

He slipped off of Ralph's shoulder. "How can you be so sure? I'm not my parents."

The security guard kneeled down in an attempt to get onto his level. "You got that same thing they got. I never really knew your parents, but I saw them from time to time. Always had a sparkle in their eyes. And they was the nicest people whenever I saw them. You have a big heart, and you're real brave. You'll do real good things someday."

Ralph placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. Back in the bedroom, Dot started crying. He pulled away and stood up.

"I better get back to my post. I'll try to get more stuff for you kids whenever I can." Ralph said, leaving the water tower.

Yakko meanwhile went to tend to his baby sister. As he attempted to rock her back to sleep, he thought about what Ralph had said. Someday, he was gonna do something good. His mother had thought the same of him.

Someday they were all gonna get out of the water tower. He'd make something of himself for his siblings. He had to. They couldn't stay in a tower forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ralph is such a sweetie. He's one of my favorites. And he doesn't hate the Warners. He's just a guy trying to do his job.
> 
> Lemme know what you think.


End file.
